Drakes 15th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Lager

Formerly brewed at Drakes Brewing Company
Style: European Strong Lager
San Leandro, California USA

Bottle received via trade with realale420. Pours dark nutty and caramel brown, cloudy with no head. Aroma is heavy caramel malt (cookie, biscuit) and bourbon, wood notes, a hint of vanilla, fruity nose and perfurmey. Moderately acidic then heavy acidity drying out the tongue, some creamy caramel malt sweetness, alcohol becomes noticeable, wood at the end. Medium bodied and warm, creamy palate that quickly turns dry.

Poured a hazt dark copper with a minimal head that faded rather quickly. Aromas of toffee, and brandy or more so calvados. Some hops in aroma though hard to detect under hot lliquor aroma. Flavors of brown sugar, maple, raisin, vanilla, with some hopping. Alcohol is quite apparent in every aspect of the beer. A little watery in mouthfeel, though this could still be interesting down the road.

Bottle pours a hazy medium amber with a small but sticky head and lacing. Aroma is a sweet dark malty flavor. reminecent of a barlywine. Flavor is also rather malty, brown sugar, raisons and the notes of the bourbon barrell that it was aged in. Softly carbonated and a very nice full smooth palate. Thanks Jordan.

Bottle compliments of cquiroga: Amber color, light head and lacing. Nose is nice with some sherry and bourbon notes, strong oak and some obligatory dark fruits. The flavor is balanced, nice coffee and chocolate notes. Sweet balanced malts, nice caramel and toffee. Yummy. Thanks chris!

Lot of bang in this small package. HUGE whiskey aroma and flavor. Also has vanilla, toffee, oak and spices. Extremely smooth, ABV is very well hidden. Lots of other complex flavors make this a winner.

Bottle. Brown beer with no head. Vanilla and bourbon aroma with some sweet malt. Vanilla, oak, and some fruitiness with malt backing. Bourbon not overpowering - still gives the most character, but doesn’t dominate. Nice. Hides alcohol well. Low carbonation.

Dirty water –no head - nose oats, port – taste oxidizes whisky on the rocks, a light port, red fruit, cherry - silky body – bittersweet aftertaste

Bottle courtesy of Tever. Cellared for a few weeks and fridged for 30 minutes. Little 6oz nip poured into a small glass. Poured a dark ruby red with visible carbonation. Can only see through the beer when you put it opposite a light. Medium head that quickly dissipated into a thick lacing. Aroma is strong and nothing like a Lager. This means I may enjoy it actualy. Smell is more like a doppelbock. Strong doopelbock-malt aroma with hints of bourbon/oak underneath that. Alcohol - particularly the bourbon - present in the aroma. Taste is subdued for something this strong. Definite bourbon/oak taste - interesting but a bit of a turn off as well. Some meatiness (not smoke) in there as well. Leaves an oak-y cola like aftertaste. Definite burn in the throat, HOT. Low bitterness. This is one of the more oak present beers I have had (this and Avery Samuels). Whoever thought of making a Lager that may need to age, what will they think of next?